The Story of Bert Raccoon
by Joel-Robert-Dayton
Summary: Bert writes his life story.
1. Chapter 1

** The Story of Bert Raccoon**

**Disclaimer, I don't own The Raccoons**

**Linda is my character. I named her after Linda Feige, who was the voice of Mellissa Raccoon on season 1. Bob, Dottie, Dennis, Natasha, Susan, Roman, Phillip, Jaqueline, Mary Belle, Randy and Joyce Rabbit are also my characters.**

**Enjoy**

** Prologue**

"Hi everybody. I'm Bert Raccoon. I live in the Evergreen Forest. If you don't live in the forest, you've probably never heard of me."

"Well to start off, I was born and raised there. It's a great place to live. So natural, quiet, peaceful and serene. It's a great place to grow up."

"Let me tell you, there has been times when the forest was almost lost. It's a good thing me, along with my friends Ralph, Mellissa and Cedric have always been there to stop it from happening."

"Anyway, I'm a reporter/paper carrier for the local newspaper: The Evergreen Standard. Ralph is the editor and his wife Mellissa is the photographer. We started the paper to keep Cyril Sneer from cutting down our beloved forest and building a city. We had only planned on one issue, but then Ralph decided that we should keep it going and it's become a great success. And what would Ralph do without me, Bert Raccoon, Ace reporter to bring in all the great stories we've published." Giggles.

"My favourite food is peanut butter. Goes with everything." Happy sigh. "Not everyone likes it as much as I do. Some people have no taste."

"I do enjoy sports as well. Baseball is my favourite. I also like football and playing hockey. Fishing is a lot of fun, even when they're not biting. Just relaxing without a care in the world. I've even started to get into basketball a little, but I'll explain later."

"I live in a house called the Raccoondominium with Ralph and Mellissa. Some may think that's weird, but we're like family. I think Mellissa kind of likes having me there, even though she and Ralph don't get much alone time when I'm home. The reason I think that is because it means they get to go out on dates more. If I wasn't living with them, they wouldn't go out for supper, dancing and to see movies as much. Mellissa really likes that kind of stuff. I've heard that that's what a lot of married couples don't do. They don't spend as much time out of the house together. Instead they're home all the time and grow apart."

"Now about my family. My parent's names are Bob and Dottie Raccoon. They live in Regina, Saskatchewan, so I don't see or talk to them much anymore. Dad used to be an accountant here in the forest, but the pay was a little low and he eventually took an office job in Regina and moved there after I left for collage. They've been there ever since and seem to enjoy it. My mother is a house wife and cooks really good. She always knew how to make peanut butter cookies, peanut butter fudge; oh she's a wizard in the kitchen." Deep sigh. "I miss those days."

"I'm not an only child. I have a little brother. His name is Dennis. He's 2 years younger than me. He lives in a town called Grand Coulee, about 10 minutes west of Regina, where he grows wheat. In fact he studied at the University of Regina and earned a degree in farming. He also met his wife Natasha in collage. They don't have any kids yet, but they might someday. We're not a farming family, but he was always interested in it. He went to work as a farm hand for a few years and later bought some land near Grand Coulee. He's managed to expand and is doing quite well and I'm proud of him. I like going fishing at Last Mountain Lake aka Long Lake, just north of Regina, with him and dad, when I get to go and visit them. Lots of walleye in that lake. It's said to have the best fishing in Southern Saskatchewan."

"Now about my friends. I've already talked about Ralph and Mellissa, but there's more. We not only live and work together, we also grew up together, along with my best friend Cedric Sneer, Cyril Sneer's son. I first met them when we were 1 1/2. My parents took me to the playground one day and while I was there I saw Ralph digging in the sandbox all by himself. I decided to join him and we had a great time building sand castles. Eventually Cedric joined us, since there was no one else to play with. He and I have been best friends ever since. That was also the same day Ralph met Mellissa. It was funny because his much older brother George had bought us some ice cream and when Ralph was bringing it to us he tripped on a root and the ice cream landed on a girl. As you probably guessed, that girl was Mellissa. Her parents, Susan and Roman Stevenson, who were sitting on a bench, weren't very impressed and didn't like Ralph that much. They lectured George about it and thought that he was Ralph's father. That's understandable. He's almost old enough to be Ralph's father. Susan was pregnant with Mellissa's little sister Linda at the time."

"George quickly apologized and explained who he was. Susan and Roman never took a shine to Ralph, until recently. I think they saw the way Mellissa was looking at Ralph, despite the mess. She's always had feelings for him and it's no surprise they eventually married. There's always been a spark between them."

"As it turns out, Ralph and Mellissa lived close to me, so we started hanging out all the time after that. George would sometimes babysit Mellissa and I. He was glad to earn a little extra cash, since it was hard for him to get a lot of hours at Mr. Willow's store."

"Cedric didn't get to hang out with us very much, because he lived a few kilometers away. That's why Ralph, Mellissa, George and I had to take the bus to school, but Cedric was lucky enough to live within walking distance of Evergreen Elementary and Evergreen High."

"George used to take the 4 of fishing and even played baseball with us. Too bad he's 18 years older than us and graduated high school and left for collage the same year we were born. It was a hard goodbye for his parents, when he left. He took a cooking course and came out with master's degree. He met his wife Nicole Lafayette on campus, during his first year. She'd moved all the way from France and was also taking cooking courses. She too came out with a master's degree. Too bad she became a housewife. She cooks quite well. We first met her on Victoria Day weekend of George's final year. That was also the same Mellissa, Cedric and I met her. We had a little trouble understanding her, as she was still learning to speak English at the time and we were still learning to talk, but she eventually got the hang of it. She and George are very close and I'm not surprised that he saved up for an engagement ring and proposed to her during their final semester, a year and half after they met. That following summer they married. We finally met Nicole's parents: Phillip and Jaqueline, along with her older sister: Mary Belle. They're very nice and were proud of their daughter for marrying someone special. We haven't seen them since, but they said they would come down for Christmas. George took a job as a chef travelling with the track gangs after that. Not long after the wedding we received a letter from them that said Nicole was pregnant. Hard to believe they had a daughter named Lisa, who would become the love of my life. George was eventually promoted and was finally able to settle in the city, so we got to see more of Bentley. He was later fired when his jerk of a boss said he no longer needs him and George was only able to get a decent paying job out here in the forest, when Mr. Knox opened his own TV station: K.N.O.X TV and hired George to host a cooking show: Chef Surprise. Lisa didn't take to well to the move. It was hard for her being away from all her other friends and no basketball teams in the forest. I managed to cheer her up and reminded her that family always comes first."

"Speaking of my beloved Lisa, she just finished collage herself recently. She played university basketball and is now the player/coach of the first basketball team here in the forest. They're called the Evergreen Eagles. As you know I met her at the train station, when she decided to come for a visit with her little brother Bentley. The first time I ever laid eyes on her and heard her voice, I was instantly smitten. The only woman I've ever felt this way about. She taught me an import lesson that weekend. Until I met her, I didn't know what being in love was like. Before that I was just a happy go lucky raccoon, who just liked to explore and have fun. Women were of no interest to me. I'd only ever dated one. That was at the high school prom. I can't remember her name. I only went with her because I didn't want to go alone. Otherwise Lisa's the only other woman I've ever dated. Well and Theresa, but I'll get to her soon."

A woman can have a strange effect on a man and now I understand what Ralph and Cedric went through. I wish I'd met her sooner. She's the reason I've started to like basketball a little more. She taught me some moves and is very good at the game. We started out as friends and started dating after a triathlon was held and I sent her the gold medal in the mail. I'm sure glad she's home and we're together again. I missed her so much. It may not have been her intention, but she taught me about love. I realized how kind and sweet she really is when she wrote to me for the first time and called me her friend always, despite how badly our first date went. I realize that I came on to strongly. I guess it's because she was my first crush and the first actual date I ever went on, so I was nervous and didn't know how else to tell her I like her. She only wanted to be friends, which makes sense, since she was living in the city at the time and we barely knew each other. I was happy as could be when the letter came and she said she wanted to be friends. I knew then she cared about me and that felt really good. Love can hurt, but it sure is a wonderful feeling. We ended up going on our second date the same day she received the gold medal. She called and I naturally said yes. I wore the same suit I wore to the bachelor auction and when I arrived at her house, she was wearing a white dress. The same one she's wearing in those pictures of herself, that she keeps attached to her mirror. She was nervous, but we had fun. We enjoyed a candle light supper at The Blue Spruce Café and danced. When I brought her home she started making conversation and I knew what she wanted, but I was too shy. I was standing there thinking what to say, my heart was racing and I couldn't move. When I tried to speak I realized she was kissing me. The first woman who ever kissed me. I felt like I could fly. I'll never forget that moment as long as I live. She thanked me for the date and said she had fun. I told her the same and headed home in a daze. All I could do when got home was flop on my bed with a big grin on my face. We've been dating ever since and I couldn't be happier."

"Next is my little buddy Bentley, Lisa's little brother. He's 9 years younger than her. I later found out the reason why was because when George was working with the track gangs, they used to move around so much they didn't have time for another kid. It was hard on Bentley, because he never made any friends until he met me. He's a smart kid and has a knack with computers. As Cedric put it: "There aren't many like Bentley." "We're like brothers and we get along very well, most of the time. He took an interest in sports and other physical activities after he met me. He even has a girlfriend, despite that they're not even in Junior High yet. Her name is Theresa Raccoon. I went on a date with her, when she purchased me for $1.50 at a bachelor auction." Embarrassed groan. "Don't laugh. It's not funny. At least we had fun and told jokes, while we had a picnic on Prieng's Peak. She finally told Bentley how she feels about him, when he was in the hospital with Appendicitis. I'm sure those 2 will get married someday. Bentley gets in trouble sometimes. We've even had to risk our lives for him in the past, but he's a kid, with a lot of growing up to do."

"My best friend in the whole world Cedric Sneer. He and his father Cyril Sneer may not be Sneer's by blood, but they still remain loyal. Cedric learned about this, when Lady Baden-Baden was doing a Who's Who book. Cedric studied accounting in collage and has recently partnered up with Cyril to run Sneer Industries, with business booming. Cedric and I didn't get a lot of time together, when we were kids, because as I said before, he lived a few kilometers away. That and Cyril didn't really like him playing with me, or Ralph and Mellissa. Cyril did eventually warm up to us though. Cedric married his girlfriend, Sophia Tutu, the following spring, after Lisa left for collage. I knew they'd marry eventually. Luckily they had their wedding on Victoria Day Weekend, so Lisa was able to attend. It was a beautiful wedding and I was Cedric's best man. Lisa was Sophia's best woman. Sophia recently announced that she's pregnant. Oh the look on Cyril's face, when he found out he has a grandchild on the way." Giggles. "They don't know what it's going to be yet and have decided they want to be surprised. I can't wait to be an uncle. Sophia and Lisa are best friends, just like Cedric and I. Theresa also hangs out with them and looks up to Lisa like an older sister, much like how Bentley looks up to me like an older brother."

"The reason Theresa looks up to Lisa is because she doesn't have a sister. Just an older brother. His name is Randy. He's 2 years older and just about in high school. He used to have a crush on Sophia, but got over it, when he met a new girl named Joyce Rabbit. They're close and have planned to go to the Junior High Prom."

"About Ralph and Mellissa, what more can be said about them? They let me live with them in the Raccoondominium. Not only because of what I was talking about before, but because we've known each other since we were preschoolers, we're like family. We've lived together for a few years and I'm grateful for their generosity. They're close and always have been. Nothing could make them part. They don't have any kids and I'm not sure why. Maybe because I'm kind of kid to them. The first house they ever owned after they got married was cut down by Cyril, when he had a lumber industry. I was staying with them for Christmas, while still trying to find my own place, after my parents moved away. Luckily though, we were able to convince Cyril, with help from our friend Schaeffer, that planting new trees was profitable. Cyril then bought them a new house and Ralph and Mellissa convinced me to stay. They figured I'd never make it on my own anyway. Ha. But that was very nice of them either way. Ralph was actually a surprise to his parents. They hadn't actually expected to have another kid, but were caught by surprise, when George was a teenager. This also helped them cope with the Empty Nest Syndrome they went through, when George left for collage."

"Schaeffer's an old English Sheepdog we met and became friends with, when Cyril was cutting down the forest. He owns his own restaurant: The Blue Spruce Café. It's a favourite hangout of ours and we help out there sometimes. Schaeffer's quite a cook. It was a lifelong dream of his. Like us, he likes to fish and play sports. He also has a black belt in Karate and has been teaching Cedric, Bentley and I. I sometimes go to him, when I need someone to talk to, but usually I go to Mellissa or Cedric. I can always count on them for council."

"Cyril isn't a friend of mine, but he is Cedric's father and has gotten better over time. He really loves Cedric dearly and has always provided the best for him. Cyril has gotten help for his smoking habit and is very close to quitting. It's been a struggle for him, but he's trying hard. Cyril's wife died after Cedric was born and he's been widowed ever since. Cyril started to become an environmental crusader recently. Sadly though, those pig henchmen of his destroyed a pond my friends and I, along with Cyril and Mr. Willow used to fish and swim in, when we were kids." Sniff. "I'm sorry, but the thought that we'll never be able to do the things we used to do there always brings me to tears. At least we caught Milton Midas and threw him in jail. His company has gone down without him and I hope he doesn't recover, when he gets out."

Well now you know more about me, my family and my friends, so let's get on with my life story."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Story of Bert Raccoon **

** Chapter 1**

"Well to begin with, I was born in the Evergreen Hospital, as were Ralph, Mellissa and Cedric. My parents said I was the cutest baby they'd ever seen. They also said that about Dennis. Anyway I was kind of a handful and my parents didn't get much sleep after they brought me home. I was up much of the night needing my diaper changed, a bottle, or sometimes just rocking me back to sleep. It's not hard to believe my first word was peanut butter. Our relatives always brought new toys, when they visited. That drove my parents crazy, especially at Christmas. No wonder they were thrilled when Dennis and I outgrew our baby toys and they sold them at a yard sale. When I was learning to walk my parents took me to the playground, which was a short walk from our house. Sadly that playground was demolished some time ago, since not many people live in that part of the forest anymore. When we got there and I was let out of my stroller I spotted another kid about my age in the sandbox and decided to play with him. As I already mentioned, that kid was Ralph. We were both still learning to talk, but we still had a lot of fun and became good friends. Later we had even more fun when another kid our age joined us. That was Cedric, my best friend. He was shy at first, but we convinced to play with us and he was laughing and wrestling with us in no time."

"Ralph's brother George, who'd been chatting with my parents and even with the bear that had brought Cedric, came and told Ralph he was going to buy ice cream. He even asked us if we wanted any. I know I would've liked peanut butter, but the ice cream shop didn't have that flavor." Sigh. "Cedric asked for chocolate and Ralph and I got vanilla. When George got back, Ralph insisted on bringing the ice cream. George gave in, mostly because my parents told him "how could he say no to such a precious face," so Ralph got his wish and brought it us. When Ralph tripped, one of the cones landed on Mellissa, who was coming to play. Neither cried, but they sure looked silly." Giggles. "Poor Ralph. George quickly cleaned him up and managed to save most of the ice cream. Mellissa liked Ralph right away and hugged him. She wanted a bite of his ice cream. Ralph didn't want to share at first, but George told him to, which he reluctantly did. Mellissa also had fun with us and seemed to have a crush on Ralph right from the get go. I think Ralph felt the same. You could actually see them blushing. We also met Mellissa's parents, Susan and Roman Stevenson, that day. They didn't like the way Ralph and Mellissa were looking at each other and I don't know why. They were the first ones to leave and poor Ralph and Mellissa cried when she was leaving. They really enjoyed each other's company. We played together all the time after that and George often babysat us, when he was home for holidays and long weekends. George's fiancée, Nicole, had decided to stay with him in the forest that following summer, while they planned their wedding. None of us actually remember it, since we weren't quite 2 at the time, but our parents said it was a really nice wedding. Considering how much older they are than us, they were always more of an uncle and aunt to Ralph, than a big brother and sister in law."

"After the wedding, George was hired on the track gangs and they moved away. It was hard, because we hardly ever saw him after. It was especially hard on poor Ralph, not having his big brother around. We eventually got used to it, but we still missed them. Our parents put us in day care after that and it was nice that we got to play together a lot more. We met Cyril at the day care center and I still remember how the staff had to remind him to put out his cigar. Dennis was born a few months after George and Nicole's wedding. I then got more of an idea of what my parents had to go through when they brought me home. Dennis usually slept better at night than me. Probably because he didn't sleep through the day like I did. It was nice having a little brother to play with. It also made day care more fun. It was even more fun when Mellissa's little sister Linda also played with us. She's about Dennis's age and they used to fight over toys and books." Giggles. "When Dennis was born, just before my second birthday I was jealous. It felt like I didn't even exist anymore. All of a sudden the relatives were bringing him all the new toys and giving him all the attention. Eventually my parents noticed when I started acting up and talked to me about that they'd been through it too. They told me they and the relatives still loved me and they always would. They decided to organize some time to spend with me when Dennis was asleep or spending time with Grandma and Grandpa. It helped me get over it and Dennis and I grew close. It happened to Mellissa too, but her parents did the same thing and she and Linda also grew close."

"Ralph, Mellissa and I had our first Halloween together, when we were 3. Sadly Cedric didn't get to come with us and Dad, who took Ralph, Mellissa and I trick or treating didn't take us to Cedric's neighborhood. I was ghost, Ralph was a vampire. Mom thought he looked really cute, wearing a tuxedo and cape. Mellissa was a fairy. Roman also came with us. I think he just wanted to keep an eye on Mellissa."

"Finally it was our first day of school. My parents were so proud. They even took a picture. Dennis cried and wondered when he'd get to go. When I got on the bus I rode with Ralph and Mellissa. I kind of felt jealous of the attention Ralph often gave Mellissa, but once we were at school, I mostly just hung out with Cedric. We were all nervous, especially Cedric. Mellissa was too scared to even get off the bus. Luckily the bus driver was friendly and managed to convince her that things would be fine. She also had us, so that helped. When we got to class, I bumped into Miss Primrose. She just smiled and I handed her the apple my parents told me to give her. She was amused that I took a bite of it, before I gave it to her. We were all hiding wherever we could, but good old Miss Primrose was patient and convinced us to take our seats. After role call she had us paint a picture of something we liked. I painted a jar of peanut butter. I can't remember what the others painted."

"We all loved Miss Primrose. She's such a good teacher. It's like I told Bentley. "Who could forget Miss Primrose." "We got into trouble sometimes, but she was forever patient and always encouraged us to participate. Since Evergreen Elementary was a one room school house at the time, it's no surprise that Miss Primrose was our teacher every year after that. Well until we started high school. Miss Primrose took a picture of us at the end of our first day, just before the bus came. We were all still nervous and she couldn't get us to smile, but she took it anyway. I couldn't wait to get home and tell mom all about it. She said she was glad I had fun and had just baked some peanut butter cookies. Good old mom. Dad came home from work and told me about how he was nervous on his first day too and that it was natural what I was going through. He said it'll pass and I would eventually get used to the other kids and Miss Primrose. He was right of course. He always knew how to cheer me up with a heart to heart talk.

Dad taught me how to play baseball that year. He also happily played a game at the playground when Ralph, Mellissa and sometimes Cedric came over. He also taught us about football and when winter came, he would take us to the lake and taught us to skate and play hockey. He used to take us ice fishing as well."

"Near the end of kindergarten, Ralph and I were out walking and we spotted a big old house. We decided to get closer and dared each other to go inside. Finally we agreed to go in together. It was a spooky place. Run down, falling apart, bats, spiders and very dusty. We didn't go in after that, but we build a fort across the lake from it and started our own club. We didn't tell Mellissa, since it was boys only. Ralph felt a little upset, because he really likes Mellissa, but wouldn't admit it. We never told Cedric about it until we were grown up. He lived to far away and we didn't see much of him outside of school. I feel bad we didn't tell him sooner. Oh well, we told him, Mellissa and Sophia about it eventually and let them all join."

"Going to the clubhouse was always fun. We would sleep there and even convinced our dads to join us. We were too young to sleep there by ourselves anyway. We could fish, swim and roast marshmallows. We sometimes ate too many and got sick, but we always had a good time. Sometimes George would come for a weekend and take us and Mellissa to that secret fishing hole. Cedric lives close to there, so he could come too. Good times."

"On our first summer holiday we hung out at the fishing hole all the time. Our mothers would pack picnic baskets and watch us swim. Sometimes they'd join us. Dennis and Linda sure liked it there too."


	3. Chapter 3

** Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer, I don't own The Raccoons.**

**Henderson, Julie, Jason, Thomas and Helen are my characters.**

**This one is darker than usual. Enjoy.**

"Summer after Kindergarten was interesting one. Grandpa and Grandma, from dad's side came for a visit. Grandpa's name is Henderson and Grandma's is Julie. They love to fish. It runs in the family." Giggles. "We had a great time on the lake and Grandpa taught us some neat things about fishing. He even stayed with us in the clubhouse. He's quite the outdoorsman. Grandma always liked to knit us sweaters. She's quieter than Grandpa, but we always played games and just listened to her stories. She taught Dennis and I how to play the card game War. We still like playing that sometimes. It's a classic."

"When grade 1 started we were in for some tough times. I don't mean the school work, or Miss Primrose, but something else. A new kid had just moved in and started grade 5. His name is Jason. We at first tried to be friends, but he turned out to be mean. He was often picking on other kids and ending up in detention. He lived in my neighborhood and would put graffiti on the playground equipment. He also swore a lot. We avoided him as much as we could and hung out at the playground less. The graffiti would get cleaned up and then he'd be right back there adding more. I don't know why he did those things and his parents didn't seem to care."

"Another tough thing that happened that year was when my parents, along with Ralph and Mellissa's, started giving us an allowance for helping around the house. They also let us go to the store by ourselves. We loved being able to buy our own candy and sodas. One day though, we went in with our allowance and the owners, an old man named Thomas and his wife Helen were meaner to us than usual. They hated kids. Might explain why they don't have any of their own. They accused us of shoplifting and told us we were not welcome there anymore. We told them we didn't take anything, but they wouldn't believe us. For a few weeks we didn't spend our allowance and our parents were naturally confused. We were too scared to say why and that we were just saving up for something. They left us alone. Mom found out eventually. She took me with her, when she had to get some groceries. I tried not to go, but she said I was too little to stay home by myself. She had to force me into the store and as soon as Thomas and Helen spotted me and said "We told you, you were not welcome here anymore." "Mom was naturally shocked and they told her that my friends and I shoplift. I told her it wasn't true. Mom was upset with the owners and decided to shop elsewhere. When she brought me home, she took me to my room and asked me what was going on. I told her we didn't take anything and I didn't know who was doing it. She realized that's why we hadn't spent our allowance lately. She called Ralph and Mellissa's parents and told them. Roman and Susan tried to accuse Ralph of being a bad influence on Mellissa. Mellissa stuck up for Ralph and they both tried to say that none of us took anything. I know my parents wanted to believe me, but they took away my allowance and grounded me." Sigh. "After a few weeks I was sick of no allowance and my parents not letting me out of their sight, when I was home from school. I talked to Ralph and Mellissa at lunch time and told them I had an idea. They both feared it would just get us into more trouble, but I insisted we had to do something. I asked Mellissa about that camera her grandparents gave her for her sixth birthday. She said her parents took it away, along with her allowance. I asked her to sneak it out, because we'd need it. She was reluctant, but I convinced her by reminding her that we have to prove we didn't do it and would be able to buy candy and soda again. She and Ralph would also get to play together again. She gave in and managed to sneak it out of her parent's closet, when Linda had fallen off her bike and scraped her knee. She snuck it to school the next day and I told them to meet me outside the store after school. Like me, they both managed to sneak out. Mellissa asked what the camera was for and I told her I think I know who's been stealing. We peeked in the windows without being seen and spotted Jason. Thomas and Helen were in the back getting stock and we saw Jason stuffing his pockets. I took the camera and got a shot of him doing it. We also got a shot of him breaking open the till with a screwdriver and stealing the money. He left when he heard Thomas and Helen coming. They noticed the broken drawer and some of the candy he tried to steal on the floor. We heard them scream "THOSE KIDS. THEY'RE AT IT AGAIN." "They called the police and we were leaving when we suddenly ran into Jason. He demanded the camera. I told him we didn't know what he was talking about. He started to shove us, even Mellissa. Ralph told him to leave Mellissa alone and grabbed his hand. Jason punched him. Mellissa and I attacked him, but he was too big and strong for us. All 3 of us were badly beaten when he was through. He then snatched the camera and ran. Some RCMP officers arrived after he left and drove us home. I thought we'd never get off the hook now, but Mellissa showed us the film, she'd hidden in her pocket. Jason had got the camera, but we still had the evidence. Ralph and I couldn't help but hug her, despite how sore all 3 of us were. When we got home we explained what happened and said we were sorry for sneaking out. I told Susan and Roman to get the pictures developed and then call the police. They at first didn't believe us and were furious that Mellissa would steal back her camera and then loose it. They did find the pictures I took after they were developed and showed them to mine and Ralph's parents. They realized we were telling the truth and called the police. They showed them the pictures and they took Jason to the station for a talking too. His parents were called to pick him up. We then showed the pictures to Thomas and Helen, but they refused to say they were sorry. All 3 of our parents were fed up with them and stopped shopping there. They had to drive to Mr. Willow's from then on."

"The RCMP eventually found the camera somewhere in the forest. It was broken of course. Susan and Roman took Jason's family to small claims court. The Judge gave them the verdict when he saw the pictures and the broken camera and Mellissa got a new camera. Jason was later expelled from our school for his behavior and his parents refusing to do anything. He had to be bused to the city. His parents quickly got sick of that and moved out of the forest. We haven't seen them since. Our parents told us they were so sorry and didn't ground us. They also gave all the allowance money we missed."

"We too stopped shopping at Thomas's store. What they did cost them a lot of business and they tried to blame us for it whenever we walked past. Thomas eventually had a stroke and passed away. Helen couldn't handle the stress and died of a heart attack after that. Now we didn't have a choice but to shop at Willow's. At least Mr. Willow is a nice guy. It was nice having Jason gone. We were going to the playground again and it wasn't being vandalized anymore. We were hardly spending our allowance anymore, except when our mothers took us to Willow's."

"I was very excited when summer came. Grandpa and Grandma invited us to stay with them and they took us fishing on the ocean, just off the coast of Vancouver. We had a great time catching salmon."

"Dennis and Linda were excited about starting kindergarten that fall." Giggles.

** I based Jason off of a bully that went to my school. He's a year older than me. I won't say his name, but he was badly behaved. He got in trouble almost all the time and the punishment was not only detention, but leaning against the wall by the front doors at Recess. He got in trouble with the police numerous times and vandalized the playground. He never beat me up, but he wanted too and his mother was the only one who did anything about it. Even when he was in Grade 6, she was still walking him to school to keep him from beating anybody up. Sad that he lived less than a block from me. He had quite a reputation and was later expelled. They eventually let him back in though. My family and I moved across town when I was 11 after years of looking at houses and finally finding a bigger one that was close to the hospital where my mom works. Sadly the bully's grandmother had just passed away that year, like mine from my dad's side and his parents divorced. He and his mother moved into his grandma's old house and he was now going to the school I was now in. I just couldn't catch a break. However he lived on the opposite side of the school from us and never bothered me again. I also based Jason's behavior off of 2 11 year old boys from the movie Little Criminals. It was on CBC in 1995. I was 12 that year. It's about 2 boys named Des and Cory, who live in Vancouver and like to steal, vandalize, do drugs and start fights. They can't be put in jail, because the law in Canada says you must 12 before that can happen. The movie was shot on location. It's on Youtube, if you want to see it.**** I was also inspired by the episode of For Better or For Worse, by Canadian Lynn Johnson.** **For Better or For Worse Whistle Blower**.** I based Thomas and Helen off of some seniors I've encountered. When I used to deliver papers I forgot to deliver one and the customer called and I gave it to her and apologized. When I tried to collect her payment she said that some other kid my age had already collected the money for me. I told my dad and the next day, while I was at school he typed a bunch of letters about it and stapled them to my papers. When I went to collect from this same customer she was acting surprised that something like that could happen. I asked I thought you said someone collected from you. She then just said "Well I lied. You were late getting me my paper and I shouldn't have to pay you for missing it." It was only the one day that it was late and I told her you still have to pay for the papers that I deliver. Otherwise I have to cancel your subscription. She was mad and then paid me what she owed. She hardly ever spoke to me after that. Another senior that was rude was when the family and I were looking at garage and yard sales for skates. We saw one that almost nothing but skates and some hockey equipment, so we had a look. The old guy that owned the house got mad at me when I commented "This yard sale has more skates than any I've seen." He then argued that it's not a yard sale. When my brothers picked some skates to try on we asked him for a stool and he answered "For what," in a rude tone. I then picked a pair I liked and they fit and all of a sudden he's arguing with my dad that he'll keep asking for a lower price, which dad didn't do. Finally we just got fed up and left. Dad called to him "Good luck. You'll need it." There were also plenty that used to come to Burger King every morning and ordered toast and coffee. They would complain about the smallest things. Some would eat half their toast and then complain that it was cold. Some would also steal the paper. I also based Thomas and Helen off this couple from the show Kitchen Nightmares. I don't blame Gordon Ramsey for what he did in the end. I think it's the only episode he ever did what he did. Kitchen Nightmares Amy's Baking Company**.** Thanks for reading and more still to come.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer, I don't own The Raccoons.**

**Jason and Mathew Mink are my characters. **

**Enjoy.**

"We were in for some harder times by the time Grade 2 started. That year a new family moved into Jason's old house. We made friends with their youngest son. His name was Mathew Mink. He was a year younger than us and a nice person. He liked the same things we did and I think he had a bit of a crush on Mellissa. He hung out with us a lot and Ralph and I even showed him the clubhouse and let him join after spending the night in the haunted house. He actually liked scary things and even reading horror stories. He told us a few when we were at the clubhouse."

"Mathew's family was nice too. He has 2 older brothers and 2 older sisters. They were a little hard on him, because he was the youngest, but his parents were good to him. We didn't go to his house very much and never really got to know his siblings that well. In fact I can't even remember their names. I do remember Mathew fighting with the oldest a fair amount, much like Bentley and Lisa sometimes do. Like them however they always made up."

"School was getting harder, but we progressed. We started learning to count by 2s and do multiplication. We also started learning how to write letters rather than print them. "

"Dennis and Linda were really enjoying Kindergarten. Dennis was so excited when we got home. He couldn't wait to tell mom all about his first day and how he loved pretending to be a farmer at playtime. I think that's when he began to show interest in it and it prompted mom and dad to buy him a farm set for his birthday. I made him a picture of a farm with a tractor and a barn. He kept it above his bed for years."

"Linda was not much like Mellissa. She's not into photography or sports. She and Mellissa didn't do much together. She never hung out with us very much either. She was always into fashion and drawing. Mellissa used to tell me how she barely came out of the tent when their family used to go on camping trips. Linda just doesn't like the outdoors. She didn't even bike ride very much. She is smart though and always got good grades. She especially liked reading and had quite a collection of story books. She would often make Roman play tea party with her and her dolls. Roman used to get laughed at by Mellissa and even Susan, but he would do anything for his family. He's a good father and a nice guy. He even built a photo lab in the basement and taught Mellissa how to develop her own photos. That sure came in handy when we founded the Standard." Giggles.

"Mellissa was getting better at photography all the time. She would never forget her camera whenever we went somewhere. She was sure proud of the new one she got after Jason stole and broke her old one. She got plenty of pictures of us with fish we caught and I got some of her and Ralph too. She worried I'd break her camera and I had a hard time getting her to smile, but I never broke it and would just have to act goofy to get her laughing. Too bad one of whoppers she caught slipped out of her hand and got away, when I had to once again get her to stop worrying and smile. Her parents only believed her about the fish she caught, because I did get the tail before it fell back in the water." Giggles. Her parents got her a tripod and a carry case for Christmas. That made her worry less when I took photos of her and Ralph."

"As I said before, we were in for harder times that year. Those hard times involved Mathew. The following spring, a couple of days after Easter Break, we were waiting in the classroom for Miss Primrose. She looked depressed and was quiet when she arrived. Mathew was absent that day. We figured he was probably sick. Miss Primrose told us some bad news. There was a fire at the Minks house the night before and Mathew had been taken to the hospital with severe burns. His family had barely made it out, but Mathew had tripped and his dad wasn't able to get him out fast enough to dodge some of the burning ceiling that landed on his back and head. He didn't have any broken bones but would have to stay in the hospital for a while. We thought nothing of it and figured he'd be fine. We were in for the shock of our lives a few days later. Miss Primrose came in a little late and was crying. She told us that the doctors had said Mathew's condition had worsened and he'd…died." Sniff. "Excuse me. We were all devastated and couldn't stop crying. They cancelled school for the rest of the day and I could barely tell my parents why we were home so early." Sniff. "The next day Miss Primrose had us write a paper about Mathew and what we remember about him. I almost couldn't write it, I was too upset. I did manage too eventually. We went to see his family after school and told them how sorry we were. They thanked us and we all attended his funeral. It was pretty hard to say goodbye. He was a good friend." Sigh. "I thought about that recently after spending a weekend at the dorm with Lisa. I dreamt about it and woke up. I just laid there crying and somehow it woke Lisa, who was sleeping beside me. She was surprised and had never seen cry so much before. I told her the whole story and that I dreamt about it. She told me she was so sorry. She then said what mom and dad told me when it happened." "As long as I never forget him, he's not really gone." "I kissed her and told thank you and that I felt better. She just smiled, kissed me back and went back to sleep. Like I said before, she's so kind and sweet. She knows how to cheer me up."

"The poor Minks. We barely saw them after that. They sure had a hard time moving on. Who could blame them? They later found out that the fire was caused by a loose wire that started sparking and ignited a box of rags in their basement. My parents were good enough to lend them some money for a motel room, while they waited for repairs. I think they had to wait for a month before moving back in. I didn't know what to say to them except to never forget Mathew. They thanked me and seemed to be better after that."

"The rest of us took fire safety a little more seriously after that. I thought Dad was being a little paranoid, but he only wanted to protect us like any good father."

**I also based this chapter off an event in my own life that happened when I was in Grade 2. A friend of mine named Mathew Girvonski, who was a year younger had been bike riding and was coming home from the playground. He was riding down a hill next to the playground and lost control of his bike. When he ended up in the intersection, I can't remember the guy's name, but he couldn't stop in time and ran him over. He was taken to the hospital and our teacher: Mrs. Ferner told us the next day about the accident and that Mathew was very badly hurt. I figured since he was still alive he'd be okay. I was wrong. A few days after that Mrs. Ferner told us that there was nothing the doctors could do for him and he died. She had us spend the rest of the day trying to write what we remembered about him. I told my dad about it after school and he told me that he'd been bike riding the day before and saw a van in that same intersection with a bike under it. He told me he was sorry. I never met Mathew's family, but one of the managers at SuperStore, where I work, who's also a friend of mine, told me he knows that family and they still live in the same house. The parents are divorced apparently. He says probably because the wife is a little cuckoo. I said and probably because of the accident. I didn't go to the funeral, as it was during school hours, but I think I still have the pamphlet, or whatever it's called with his picture and birthday. I was also inspired by the story The Outsiders, where the character Johnney was saving some kids from a burning church and a beam fell on him, breaking his back. He later died in the hospital. I read that book in Grade 9 and also saw the movie that year. I have a youtube video called Moose Jaw SK Summer Tour 2014, if anyone wants to know where that accident happened. I marked it in the comments section. You can see the hockey rink and playground on the left just before I turn left. Whoever built the playground there is an idiot. That hill is dangerous. One of my friends and I rode our bikes down it once on our way home, lost control and fell off in the intersection. There was a car coming but luckily it was half a block away and had plenty of time to stop and let us get out of the way. Some of the other kids liked to ride down that hill and I told them you shouldn't do that. Do you want to get run over like Mathew.**

**Anyway I apologise for darkness in this chapter, but I wanted to show that things like this can happen. As always thanks for reading and more still to come. **


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